My Ex Quit Their Job To Avoid Paying Child Support. What Can I Do?
Today’s topic deals with a situation that I recently encountered with one of my current clients. We went to court and we were successful in getting a child support order for the ex spouse to pay. However, quickly after the order was signed, filed and delivered, my client’s spouse decided to quit their job so that they did not have to pay the ordered child support amount.
I explained to my client that the good news is that the child support obligation is not going to change as a result of the ex quitting their job. They still have an obligation to pay the ordered child support and that will remain until the order is modified. However, the bad news is that now it makes it a little bit more difficult to collect on that child support order.
There are three things that someone in this position can do immediately to try to enforce their support order:
- The first step is you can go ahead and open a case with the child support office to try to intercept any tax returns that your ex might get and attach any government payments such as unemployment if they are receiving that. This is one form of payment that you can receive right away.
- The second thing that you can do is file with the court for contempt of court and request that the court mandate that your ex make the payments, issue a fine, and force them to look for work.
- The final thing is, if you unfortunately are in the position where you need to get government assistance, then your ex will be responsible for making payments back to the government for the assistance that you’re receiving, as they were obligated to make child support payments.
Unfortunately, this situation is more common than it should be. If you are dealing with an ex who refuses or is unable to pay child support, contact our office for a consultation. Our experienced family attorneys will discuss your situation in detail and help you determine which option may be best for you. To schedule a consultation, contact our office at (702) 998-1188, info@ljlawlv.com, or schedule a consultation online.
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